Oaths

Two weeks ago we spent pretty much the whole class talking about oaths and how they separate a fraternity from all other organizations except for a few. Before, I had said that Rituals were what made fraternities unique and different from any other organization, but Tyler challenged this idea by saying how other organizations such as the marching band and football team also have rituals. While these rituals might not be the same as the Rituals of fraternities, they are very similar in that all members go through this ritual and the rituals are kept secret from other people not in the organization. The discussion really got me thinking: what really does make a fraternity different from all the organizations at OSU.

Right before I joined Pi Delta Psi, I took an oath that I would uphold the principles of Academic Achievement, Cultural Awareness, Righteousness, and Friendship/Loyalty to represent and improve this fraternity as a brother for life. Thinking back on it, there are very few things in life that require you to take an oath. The only things I could think of other than joining a fraternity were marriage and when the newly elected President is sworn into office. These two things are extremely important, and failure to abide these oaths will result in extreme consequences. In the case of marriage, that would be divorce, and while the rate for divorce in America is at an all-time high, and many people get re-married, the feeling of your first marriage and your first love will be gone forever. In terms of Presidency, you would be impeached and forced to resign, and there has been only one President in the 200 years of our nations history that has ever been forced to resign. So as you can see joining a fraternity and taking that oath is a very prestigious and important event.

I was still debating the idea in my head when Ben said something very interesting. He said that fraternities and sororities are different from any other organization because we will ALWAYS BE a member of our fraternity or sorority, no matter if we're fifty years old and a bum or or if we're still just a new member at OSU, but once you're of college, you're no longer ARE part of that football team or marching band. That really struck a cord with me, and it was then I realized that it was the oaths we took and not the Rituals that set us apart from all other organizations.

Rituals are a very important part of a fraternity. While they may be secret, a good fraternity member should live his Rituals. And while all Rituals are different, most of them are very alike because there is an image that all fraternities want to have. Some fraternities even post their Rituals online for others to see. But oaths. Oaths are different. You don't even live your oath, you take it, and while it may only last for a minute, after taking the oath you are bound for life to the brothers in your fraternity. No one else outside the fraternity will ever share that same oath or bond that each member of that fraternity shares.

From then on, whatever you do, whatever you say, could have an impact on that fraternity. Because it is a bond for life. When someone in the football team does something stupid, people won't judge the football team because that guy won't be part of the football team in four years. When someone in a fraternity does something stupid, people automatically judge that fraternity because he will always be part of that fraternity and represent it.